ALBUQUERQUE—Samuel Jackson, 56, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Shiprock, New Mexico, was sentenced this morning to 16 years in prison for his abusive sexual contact conviction. Jackson will be on supervised release for five years after he completes his prison sentence. He also will be required to register as a sex offender.

Jackson pled guilty to the abusive sexual contact charge on July 17, 2012. In entering his guilty plea, Jackson admitted sexually assaulting a Navajo child under the age of 16 years in a residence in Shiprock on August 5, 2011. At the time of the offense and until his arrest in January 2012, Jackson was employed as a back-up bus driver at Shiprock division of the Central Consolidated School District No. 22.

The case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Shiprock Division of the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Presiliano A. Torrez.